The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1887-03-10
PRODUCTS OF THE PINE.
SCENES IN a NORTH CAROLINA
TURPENTINE FOREST.
How the Turpentine is Obtained
from the Trees-Process Of Dis
tillation-Utilizing Pine Leaves.

tillation-Utilizin@ Pine Leaves.
The turpentine or long leaf pine region
of North Carolina lies east of the Great
Pee Dee River, which crosses the State
near It's centre and is the dividing line
between the hill country and the low
lands or sandy section. \ large body of
long leaf pines is called ''lat," and
one could not we'll imagine more desc
late place than one of these flats. It
covers probably 500 acres-sometimes
more-and one may traverse its entire
length and breadth without seeing so
much as a daisy or bluebell, the most
common of flowers, to relieve the mo-
notony of pines. 1t is literally forest
of pines, which rear their giant forms
forty, sixty, a hundred feet high. The
trunks are invariably ''as straight as an
arrow" and free from limb or branch un-
til within about fifteen feet of the top,
where the limbs branch out and give the
top the appearance of an expanded um-
brella.
Every turpentlne forest, no matter
how large, is divided up into crops Of
5000 and 10000 trees. The first step
in working virgin forest is the boxing
of the trees. For this purpose an axe,
much longer and narrower than the or
dinary club axe," is used, and 1t occu-
pies the time of two men for week or
ten days in boxing crop. The box is
cut on the side of the tree most exposed
to the sun and about two feet from the
ground 1t is eight to ten inches across
the face and about four inches deep,
shaped somewhat like the buckets on
grain elevator. Each box holds from
oint to a Quart of turpentine. After the
trees have all been boxed they are lett
alone for about week, at the expiration
of which time the ground has all to be
gone over again. This time the boxes
are 'cornered," that IS, two or three
more chips are taken from the corners
of the boxes, thus exposing little more
broken surface to the action of the sun,
for, it must be understood. no turpentine
exudes from the tree except where
the bark is removed. Now begins the
work in earnest. At intervals of one
week the crop has to be gone over
and each tree ''chipped" or "hacked. !"
This process consists of beginning at
the upper edge of the box and at each
= round taking off strip of bark about
three inches in width, inclining from the
outer edge of the tree and converging IN
the centre. As the bark is removed the
tnrpentine spontaneously exudes from
the tree and runs down into the boxes
which were first cut near the bottom OF
the tree. When the tree has been hacked
as high up as it can be reached, then
comes the more laborious worn OF pull
ing" This is virtually the same as
hacking, the difference being that an
oval-shaped tool is used, to which is at
tached a handle ten or twelve leet IN
length. The pulling" is continued un-
til the tree is stripped of its bark up
about twenty feet, which is ashigh as it
can be successfully worked.
During all this process of hacking and
pulling the boxes hive obe dipped reg
ularly about once a week. Barrels are
placed through the forest at convenient
Intervals, and the clippers" provided
with buckets and small vessels for dip
ping the turpentne out of the boxes, go
through the forest and collect the tur-
pentine which has accumulated in the
boxes and empty it into the barrels.
After a forest has been worked over
one time and all tie turpentine has been
procured from the first boxing it is again
gone over and back boxed-that is, the
other side of the tree is boxed and it is
worked Just as in the first instance. From
this working as good yield is often OBJ
tanned as from the first, though the
turpentine is not always Of as good
quality. After the tree has been worked
the second time they are no longer Of any
value as turpentine producers, but are
then cut down and coverted into lumber
and shingles When a forest of long
leaf pine is cut down and destroyed the
growth which follows it is invariably the
short leaf pine, which does not produce
turpentine indeed, it is fit for nothing
but fence rails and fire wood.
81 The process of converting crude tur-
g pentine into spirits and resin is an inter
q esting one. and yet it is difficult of lucid
description. A still consists simply of a
large copper vessel and ''worm." The
vessel or pot is built up in strong ma
soLry, with furnace underneath. BY
the side of this tank i, built, in which is
placed the worm" q spiral-shaped col
of piping. and the tank is filled with
water. The pot or still is then filled
with crude turpentine and "cap" is
placed over the top of the still. From
The cap-a copper pipe runs to and con
meets with the worm in the tank, care
being taken that no crevice is left through
which the steam can escape. A fire i;
then built in the furnace under the still
aud the turpentine is soon boiling. Tht
steam generated by the boiling turpen
tine, having no other means of escape,
passes through the copper piping at,
tached to the cap" and from there into
the worm in the tank. The worm, b:ine
kept constantly covered with cool water,
condenses the steam and it passes out Of
the worm into a tank provided for the
purpose, and is then ready to be bar
relied and shipped. During the process:
of boiling care must be taken to keep ;
good fire, for if it is allowed to die dowr
the turpentine will boil over If the
least particle of it comes in contact with
the fire there is no extinguishing it.
When run has been made and
H. fro,,, ba furpap